In the ski industry, the term “Telemark” refers to a type of a ski turn wherein the heels of the ski boots are not attached to the skis while conducting the turn. The Telemark style of skiing essentially disappeared with the advent of alpine skiing equipment. Alpine skiing equipment utilizes ski bindings that lock both the heel and toe of the ski boot on the ski.
Cross-country or touring skis typically include the use of soft ski boots and bindings that allow the heel to freely rotate to and away from the ski, while the toe of the boot remains attached to the ski. This free-heel characteristic of cross-country ski equipment enables the skier to conduct a standard walking motion in order to propel the skier. The Telemark turn can be used by cross-country skiers who encounter a downhill slope to be traversed.
More recently, back-country skiing has become popular. Back-country skiers search for back-country ski opportunities including considerable sized downhill slopes. Although cross-country/touring skis are adequate for traversing some downhill areas, attributes of alpine skiing equipment are still preferred by many back-country skiers.
The Telemark ski binding can be considered either a hybrid alpine ski binding or hybrid cross-country binding. More specifically, the typical Telemark ski binding affords the skier greater rigidity with respect to the connection between the boot and the ski as compared to cross-country ski equipment, but the Telemark ski binding allows for some rotational movement of the boot heel. The Telemark binding is a versatile binding that allows the skier to experience freedom both at traditional alpine skiing resorts and in open back-country skiing.
There are a number of prior art inventions directed to ski bindings, some of which are directed to Telemark type skiing equipment. Some examples of ski bindings especially adapted for Telemark skiing include the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,685,213; 6,623,027; 6,409,204; 6,322,095; 6,299,193; 6,105,994; and 6,092,830.
While the inventions disclosed in these references may be adequate for their intended purposes, there is still a need for a releasable Telemark binding for particular types of Telemark bindings that do not have a designed release feature.
Genuine Guide Gear (G3)™ is a popular commercial Telemark binding. One style of the G3 binding includes two riser or spacer plates mounted to the ski. The riser plates act as a shim or separator which facilitates turning of a ski more easily since the boot is maintained at an elevated position with respect to the ski.
In many circumstances, it is desirable to have a Telemark binding with a specially designed release feature that allows the boot to separate from the ski based upon predetermined forces placed on the binding. Particularly in back-country skiing where there is an avalanche danger, a skier caught in an avalanche without releasable bindings creates a hazard. The ski remaining attached to the boot after the skier is buried in the avalanche results in the ski acting as an anchor preventing the skier from moving, and potentially being freed from the snow. During an avalanche when the snow is in motion, assuming the skier is conscious, the skier freed from his/her skis can perform a “swimming” motion that helps the skier to remain near the surface of the snow. Survivability is enhanced if the skier can make efforts to remain near the surface of the snow.
Releasable bindings in alpine skiing equipment are well known. Although some Telemark skiing is conducted on relatively flat terrain, downhill skiing conducted with Telemark ski equipment favors the use of a releasable binding for safety purposes.